I don't want to get reading glasses yet! September 27, 2012 8:48 AM Subscribe
Okay, yeah, doing stuff in smaller script can be funny and all. But pretty, pretty please, can people at least do it in small rather than SUPER-small, like this? (It makes me feel old, man!)
I think it's a difference between using the "small" tag and the "subscript" tag, but have never tried that theory.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:52 AM on September 27, 2012
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:52 AM on September 27, 2012
In this case it was three <small> tags in a row. That does make the text very hard to read. We don't want to stop people from being able to do that, but yeah, if they didn't it would make their jokes easier to read.
If you run Stylish you can embiggen all smalls with something like:
Or if you still want the text slightly smaller, but not as small:
might do the trick.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:57 AM on September 27, 2012
If you run Stylish you can embiggen all smalls with something like:
small {font-size:inherit;}Or if you still want the text slightly smaller, but not as small:
small {font-size:96%;} might do the trick.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:57 AM on September 27, 2012
OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:58 AM on September 27, 2012
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:58 AM on September 27, 2012
You can pry my <small> tags from my tiny dead hands.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:59 AM on September 27, 2012 [7 favorites]
posted by Rock Steady at 8:59 AM on September 27, 2012 [7 favorites]
So sorry -- and feeling guilty, because I have poor eyesight and I can't read even two small tags on my ipod. I'm on a big monitor right now, and it didn't look small when I posted because I have the global settings for the monitor pumping up all text. If a moderator wants to go in and take out the extra tags, please do.
posted by jb at 9:01 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jb at 9:01 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
We don't want to stop people from being able to do that, but yeah, if they didn't it would make their jokes easier to read.
Oh, absolutely; I'm not asking for a mod rule. I'm making more of a Sarah-McLachlan-holding-a-kitten-and-trying-to-make-you-feel-guilty appeal here.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:01 AM on September 27, 2012 [24 favorites]
Oh, absolutely; I'm not asking for a mod rule. I'm making more of a Sarah-McLachlan-holding-a-kitten-and-trying-to-make-you-feel-guilty appeal here.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:01 AM on September 27, 2012 [24 favorites]
ctrl+
ctrl-
ctrl0
I use these all the time to see things better (and in fact, have MetaFilter constantly one ctrl+'d anyway), and I have perfect eyesight and am not even old. I just don't like to work hard when I'm leisure reading.
They're super easy, pretty standard across the browsers and operating systems used most often, and are a much better way to handle the smalltext issue than asking for folks to change their individual posting styles.
posted by phunniemee at 9:02 AM on September 27, 2012 [5 favorites]
ctrl-
ctrl0
I use these all the time to see things better (and in fact, have MetaFilter constantly one ctrl+'d anyway), and I have perfect eyesight and am not even old. I just don't like to work hard when I'm leisure reading.
They're super easy, pretty standard across the browsers and operating systems used most often, and are a much better way to handle the smalltext issue than asking for folks to change their individual posting styles.
posted by phunniemee at 9:02 AM on September 27, 2012 [5 favorites]
You see, small text is totally different from subscript but roughly the same size. Its the combo tags that get you get you get you get you get you get you get you
posted by Blasdelb at 9:03 AM on September 27, 2012 [11 favorites]
posted by Blasdelb at 9:03 AM on September 27, 2012 [11 favorites]
phunniemee: I use these all the time to see things better (and in fact, have MetaFilter constantly one ctrl+'d anyway), and I have perfect eyesight and am not even old. I just don't like to work hard when I'm leisure reading.
I also think most OS/Browser combos have a key combo that lets you use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out. It's pretty fun if you haven't tried it before. Here in Windows/Chrome land it is "Hold down Ctrl and scroll". You can then use Ctrl-0 to get back to "normal" if you want to.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:07 AM on September 27, 2012
I also think most OS/Browser combos have a key combo that lets you use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out. It's pretty fun if you haven't tried it before. Here in Windows/Chrome land it is "Hold down Ctrl and scroll". You can then use Ctrl-0 to get back to "normal" if you want to.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:07 AM on September 27, 2012
What this MeTa has done is teach me how to make my small text extra small. Really, this is only going to perpetuate the problem because I'm an ass and have occasionally wanted to write something in smaller than small text but didn't know how until today. I didn't realize that you could "stack" tags like that. I assumed, since it was the exact same tag, that it wouldn't have a carry-on effect. I mean, it's not like I can make bold text extra bold by using the < strong > tag multiple times (I just tried).
At least no one is doing what I've seen on a few other sites, where the text is made so small that it appears as little more than a series of illegible dots on the monitor. That is annoying.
posted by asnider at 9:11 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
At least no one is doing what I've seen on a few other sites, where the text is made so small that it appears as little more than a series of illegible dots on the monitor. That is annoying.
posted by asnider at 9:11 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you use Safari, there's an option in the Advanced tab of the Preferences dialog to "Never use font sizes smaller than..."
In Firefox, there's a button labeled "Advanced" next to the default font controls on the "Content" preferences tab which opens a pane with a "Minimum font size" control.
In Chrome, the setting page has a "Show advanced settings..." link at the bottom, and next to the "Font size" controls under "Web content" there's a "Customize fonts..." button which opens a pane with a "Minimum font size" slider.
posted by nicwolff at 9:13 AM on September 27, 2012 [4 favorites]
In Firefox, there's a button labeled "Advanced" next to the default font controls on the "Content" preferences tab which opens a pane with a "Minimum font size" control.
In Chrome, the setting page has a "Show advanced settings..." link at the bottom, and next to the "Font size" controls under "Web content" there's a "Customize fonts..." button which opens a pane with a "Minimum font size" slider.
posted by nicwolff at 9:13 AM on September 27, 2012 [4 favorites]
There's also a Greasemonkey script that can help out.
posted by yuwtze at 9:14 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by yuwtze at 9:14 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
What this MeTa has done is teach me how to make my small text extra small.
Well, it's taught ME the key combinations to zoom in on my screen, so neener.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:15 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
Well, it's taught ME the key combinations to zoom in on my screen, so neener.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:15 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
I try not to use the supersmall text feature often, because I AM old. Get off my lawn, you under-30 year-olds with 20/20 vision.
I know your pain because I used to be nearsighted and wore glasses and THEN contacts and THEN had LASIK surgery 6 years ago and NOW I have these weird "starburst" cataracts and I'm only in my 40s and they can't do LASIK again so I'll have to get my eye cut open the old-fashioned way--Okay I'm just not going to talk about my own vision any more now because it's so depressing.
BUT! Even though I can empathize, it is much, much easier to change things on your end as a user than to try to get everyone else to change instead.
What I do is set my profile preferences so small text appears in my favorite font at 9pt and even normal text is 14pt, so I don't get reminded that my eyes have unlocked achievement EPIC FAIL.
And because Steve Jobs made Apple just for me, if you are on a mac, all you have to do is push command +. That key combination is my best friend and I use it ALL THE TIME, everywhere.
posted by misha at 9:27 AM on September 27, 2012
I know your pain because I used to be nearsighted and wore glasses and THEN contacts and THEN had LASIK surgery 6 years ago and NOW I have these weird "starburst" cataracts and I'm only in my 40s and they can't do LASIK again so I'll have to get my eye cut open the old-fashioned way--Okay I'm just not going to talk about my own vision any more now because it's so depressing.
BUT! Even though I can empathize, it is much, much easier to change things on your end as a user than to try to get everyone else to change instead.
What I do is set my profile preferences so small text appears in my favorite font at 9pt and even normal text is 14pt, so I don't get reminded that my eyes have unlocked achievement EPIC FAIL.
And because Steve Jobs made Apple just for me, if you are on a mac, all you have to do is push command +. That key combination is my best friend and I use it ALL THE TIME, everywhere.
posted by misha at 9:27 AM on September 27, 2012
Oh, absolutely; I'm not asking for a mod rule. I'm making more of a Sarah-McLachlan-holding-a-kitten-and-trying-to-make-you-feel-guilty appeal here.
It worked - I promise only to use one small tag from now on :)
posted by jb at 9:28 AM on September 27, 2012
It worked - I promise only to use one small tag from now on :)
posted by jb at 9:28 AM on September 27, 2012
asnider: I mean, it's not like I can make bold text extra bold by using the strong tag multiple times (I just tried).
Sure you can. You just have to ██████ ████ █████████.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:31 AM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]
Sure you can. You just have to ██████ ████ █████████.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:31 AM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]
ctrl+'d
The English language never saw computers coming.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:31 AM on September 27, 2012 [5 favorites]
The English language never saw computers coming.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:31 AM on September 27, 2012 [5 favorites]
Oh, absolutely; I'm not asking for a mod rule. I'm making more of a Sarah-McLachlan-holding-a-kitten-and-trying-to-make-you-feel-guilty appeal here.
I used to love that song, "Angel", but I can't stand it now. I have to turn the channel when that SM kitteh commercial comes on because itmakes me want to go adopt every cat at the animal shelter and my family says I am not allowed to go to there any more. :(
posted by misha at 9:33 AM on September 27, 2012 [8 favorites]
I used to love that song, "Angel", but I can't stand it now. I have to turn the channel when that SM kitteh commercial comes on because itmakes me want to go adopt every cat at the animal shelter and my family says I am not allowed to go to there any more. :(
posted by misha at 9:33 AM on September 27, 2012 [8 favorites]
All of my posts and comments are accompanied by a high-frequency audio track that old people can't hear.
posted by Zed at 9:53 AM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Zed at 9:53 AM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]
All of my posts and comments are accompanied by a high-frequency audio track that old people can't hear.
Or see!
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
posted by phunniemee at 10:00 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
Or see!
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
posted by phunniemee at 10:00 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
I learned it from you, cortex! I learned it from watching you!
posted by zamboni at 10:00 AM on September 27, 2012 [8 favorites]
posted by zamboni at 10:00 AM on September 27, 2012 [8 favorites]
I don't know about other people, but when I go that small it's not something that anyone has to read to understand the rest of the post.
posted by theichibun at 10:00 AM on September 27, 2012
posted by theichibun at 10:00 AM on September 27, 2012
theichibun:The same goes for me. Super small script is basically for noise that you want to emphasize is NOT part of the greater conversation. I'll limit myself to a single small from here on out, though.
"I don't know about other people, but when I go that small it's not something that anyone has to read to understand the rest of the post."
posted by charred husk at 10:30 AM on September 27, 2012
Oh, god, now I feel guilty and stuff for making a thing of it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:43 AM on September 27, 2012
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:43 AM on September 27, 2012
posted by Cranberry at 10:58 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
i only get annoyed when it's an entire wall of text that has been made small. i generally flag that as an html error. even if nothing gets done, i at least feel better.
posted by nadawi at 11:09 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by nadawi at 11:09 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
oh yeah, i also flag blink text as an html error. in my mind it's something like "oh, how embarrassing, they accidentally hit their keyboard in the exact configuration before and after their comment to make it all blink. i'll go ahead and alert the mods to this obvious mistake."
posted by nadawi at 11:11 AM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 11:11 AM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
I Englished computer langauge.
I English computer'd language.
I'd English computer language.
I English computer languaged.
VERBING.
nicwolff has it EmpressCallipygos; make sure you go adjust your browser minimum font sizes settings.
posted by carsonb at 11:14 AM on September 27, 2012
I English computer'd language.
I'd English computer language.
I English computer languaged.
VERBING.
nicwolff has it EmpressCallipygos; make sure you go adjust your browser minimum font sizes settings.
posted by carsonb at 11:14 AM on September 27, 2012
posted by elizardbits at 11:15 AM on September 27, 2012
EmpressCallipygos: "What this MeTa has done is teach me how to make my small text extra small.
Well, it's taught ME the key combinations to zoom in on my screen, so neener"
There's also "ctrl - scroll wheel up and down".
posted by Grither at 11:20 AM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
Well, it's taught ME the key combinations to zoom in on my screen, so neener"
There's also "ctrl - scroll wheel up and down".
posted by Grither at 11:20 AM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
Oh, god, now I feel guilty and stuff for making a thing of it.
We'll meet you over in AskMefi.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:22 AM on September 27, 2012
We'll meet you over in AskMefi.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:22 AM on September 27, 2012
If you use Safari, there's ...
In Firefox, there's ...
In Chrome ...
And in Internet Explorer, there doesn't seem to be any support for nested <small> tags at all.
posted by flabdablet at 11:47 AM on September 27, 2012
In Firefox, there's ...
In Chrome ...
And in Internet Explorer, there doesn't seem to be any support for nested <small> tags at all.
posted by flabdablet at 11:47 AM on September 27, 2012
IE is showing nested tags on my screen just fine. (More's the pity, apparently.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:50 AM on September 27, 2012
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:50 AM on September 27, 2012
Does that mean my poor man's IMG posts work now?
posted by flabdablet at 11:58 AM on September 27, 2012
posted by flabdablet at 11:58 AM on September 27, 2012
Headline called out for sheer froufrou-ness.
(taking off reading glasses, frowning, shaking head)
posted by Namlit at 1:08 PM on September 27, 2012
(taking off reading glasses, frowning, shaking head)
posted by Namlit at 1:08 PM on September 27, 2012
Small text used to be the one thing that really irritated me about Metafilter until I realised that I wasn't missing anything important if I just ignored everything in small text.
posted by Azara at 1:29 PM on September 27, 2012
posted by Azara at 1:29 PM on September 27, 2012
Free donuts untit 5pm for everyone who can read this link!!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:46 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:46 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
I like the word embiggen.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:50 PM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:50 PM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]
I like the word embiggen.
I try to use the word cromulent at least weekly. It is my duty as an American.
posted by phunniemee at 1:52 PM on September 27, 2012
I try to use the word cromulent at least weekly. It is my duty as an American.
posted by phunniemee at 1:52 PM on September 27, 2012
Im going to embloggen the word embiggen, thanks. Great for explaining how yeast works.
posted by Namlit at 1:59 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Namlit at 1:59 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
I can't read this damn post. Speak up!
posted by Eideteker at 3:10 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Eideteker at 3:10 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
I unemboggened some of my ancestors lately and might have mixed up some of the pieces. Are they still safe to venerate?
posted by stebulus at 3:49 PM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by stebulus at 3:49 PM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
I like the word embiggen.
I try to use the word cromulent at least weekly. It is my duty as an American.
Surely you mean 'Amercian'.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:18 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
I try to use the word cromulent at least weekly. It is my duty as an American.
Surely you mean 'Amercian'.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:18 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
I came to this page expecting font hijinks. I was not disappointed.
posted by arcticseal at 5:20 PM on September 27, 2012
posted by arcticseal at 5:20 PM on September 27, 2012
LET'S GET SMALL
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:36 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:36 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
"This looks more like a post that you should self-embloggen."
posted by drlith at 6:03 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by drlith at 6:03 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
No, Afroblanco, YOU'RE wrong. About everything. All the time.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:11 PM on September 27, 2012
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:11 PM on September 27, 2012
One tag makes it bolder
And one tag makes it small
And the tags that make it blinky
Don't do anything at all...
posted by drlith at 6:21 PM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]
And one tag makes it small
And the tags that make it blinky
Don't do anything at all...
posted by drlith at 6:21 PM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]
No, Afroblanco, YOU'RE wrong. About everything. All the time.
Does that mean he was wrong when he said he's "Wrong for Metafilter, wrong for America"? Paradox!
posted by John Cohen at 6:41 PM on September 27, 2012
Does that mean he was wrong when he said he's "Wrong for Metafilter, wrong for America"? Paradox!
posted by John Cohen at 6:41 PM on September 27, 2012
Oh, god, now I feel guilty and stuff for making a thing of it.
No, no, EC, it's all good, I was right with ya.
So thanks to phunniemee, Rock Steady and nicwolff for pointing out the different ways to deal with this.
Apparently it flat out never occurred to me that I could do something about it from my end.
I am so ashamed. Maybe I should stop trying to use these new-fangled computer thingies.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:29 PM on September 27, 2012
No, no, EC, it's all good, I was right with ya.
So thanks to phunniemee, Rock Steady and nicwolff for pointing out the different ways to deal with this.
Apparently it flat out never occurred to me that I could do something about it from my end.
I am so ashamed. Maybe I should stop trying to use these new-fangled computer thingies.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:29 PM on September 27, 2012
I though I was supposed to ask my doctor if Afroblanco might be right for me.
posted by koeselitz at 8:24 PM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by koeselitz at 8:24 PM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
Don't send me no doctor, fillin' me up with all-a those pills!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:39 PM on September 27, 2012
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:39 PM on September 27, 2012
I'm going to do a very small FPP about microfilm.
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!
posted by mazola at 10:55 PM on September 27, 2012
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!
posted by mazola at 10:55 PM on September 27, 2012
but if I make it small enough I don't have to see it or admit that I did it
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:37 PM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:37 PM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
Em-biggen biggen biggen font size please
Sometimes your words just migrainize me
But I still love your flashy phrase
Guess that's why they banned, and you're so faved
posted by Kabanos at 2:33 PM on September 28, 2012 [2 favorites]
Sometimes your words just migrainize me
But I still love your flashy phrase
Guess that's why they banned, and you're so faved
posted by Kabanos at 2:33 PM on September 28, 2012 [2 favorites]
So Tired of Squinting: A Doggerel Plea Against Teeny Tiny Text
I'm not saying we need a new rule
But it's just that I feel like a fool
To reach for my glasses
When all you wise-asses
Write something that might be a jewel.
posted by .kobayashi. at 6:39 AM on September 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm not saying we need a new rule
But it's just that I feel like a fool
To reach for my glasses
When all you wise-asses
Write something that might be a jewel.
posted by .kobayashi. at 6:39 AM on September 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
it's a world of laughter, a world or tears
it's a world of hopes and a world of fears
theres so much that we share
that it's time we're aware
it's a small world after all
it's a small world after all
it's a small world after all
it's a small world after all
it's a small, small world
it's a small, small world
it's a small, small world
it's a small, small world
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:03 AM on September 29, 2012
it's a world of hopes and a world of fears
theres so much that we share
that it's time we're aware
it's a small world after all
it's a small world after all
it's a small world after all
it's a small world after all
it's a small, small world
it's a small, small world
it's a small, small world
it's a small, small world
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:03 AM on September 29, 2012
there once was a poster in meta
who read not a single post's letter
they all were to small
'hey guys would you all
embiggen your writ - ah, that's better'
posted by Namlit at 8:38 AM on September 29, 2012 [4 favorites]
who read not a single post's letter
they all were to small
'hey guys would you all
embiggen your writ - ah, that's better'
posted by Namlit at 8:38 AM on September 29, 2012 [4 favorites]
When someone sticks a big wad of supersmall text in a comment, I take it as their signal that they don't really want you to understand their comment, like muttering under their breath. No prob dude, moving right along.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:31 AM on September 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:31 AM on September 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
But then, if you move along, how will you know the commenter is not talking about Halloween Jack? I mean, you'd probably want to know if someone was talking about you, right? Wouldn't you?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:36 AM on September 30, 2012
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:36 AM on September 30, 2012
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by Autumn at 8:50 AM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]